"You don't have to apologize..."

Not wanting to make your sister feel bad, you quickly opened your mouth to prevent any misunderstandings. "You don't have to apologize..." you said, trying to comfort her.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly. "You know that I love you, right? I care about you, and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I can tell that you're not enjoying this situation. I-I should have stopped myself from forcing you to wear a dress," she blurted out, letting her thoughts spill out.

You didn't like it when your sister doubted herself or put herself down, especially when all she wanted to do was help you. You placed your hand on her lap, reassuring her.

"Rachel, please don't put yourself down. Yes, this feels strange for me too, but it was my decision to do this, not yours," you said, trying to comfort her.

She let out a sigh and smiled.

"Thank you. I... You know I don't like forcing people to do things they don't like. I feel like I was being a hypocrite," she said, relieved by your words.

Next thing you knew, you and your sister were in the high school parking lot. She grabbed her bag and opened the door for you. She looked at you with a happy smile.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay? I'll see you at lunch," she said, trying to give you a reassuring smile. Then you watched her walk away, heading towards her own class.

Your heart pounded as you realized you were now alone. Out in public, you focused on steadying your breathing, trying to calm yourself down. There was no one around you at the moment.

You quickened your pace and headed towards the entrance doors.